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enArctic Adaptations: Inuit Architecture Showcased in Prestigious Venice Biennalehttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/10/29/arctic-adaptations-inuit-architecture-showcased-prestigious-venice-biennale-157573
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>For the first time in the 14-year history of the International Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Nunavut flag flew at the entrance to the Canadian Pavilion<em>,</em> an <em>Inukshuk</em> floating at the entrance of “<em>Arctic Adaptations: Nunavut at 15.</em>”</p>
<p>The exhibit, curated by architects Lola Sheppard and Mason White, from Toronto-based design firm Lateral Office, coincides with the 15th anniversary of the territory’s creation. <em>Arctic Adaptations</em> documents architectural history in Nunavut, describing the realities of its communities, introducing the future role of architecture, and responding to the theme suggested by the director of the Biennale, Rem Koolhaas: Absorbing Modernity, 1914–2014.</p>
<p><img style="line-height: 1.6em; height: 145px; width: 350px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/venice_biennale_exhibit_dates-godreche.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>“We hope that people will not settle for generic architecture,” said White, “but instead, celebrate contemporary traditional culture, through traditional contemporary buildings. This is what we wished to show, that it is possible to envision buildings that respond to the culture, geography and territory of Nunavut.”</p>
<p>Kirt Ejesiak, president of Panaq Design, an Iqaluit-based consultant group offering construction services in Nunavut, emphasizes, “it is time to understand that the North is not a white mass of nothing! The exhibition provides an introduction to our challenges in the Arctic, and hopefully incites people to visit us, see first hand our challenges when building in the North. The main one is to understand the Inuit lifestyle and take into account our hunting, fishing and harsh environment, in a way that does not bankrupt the organizations, as it is very expensive. Also, this project empowers the Inuit to become part of the process, with an architecture that makes sense to us; because building design has always been done by people from outside, with ideas totally disconnected from our reality.”</p>
<p>With more than 300,000 visitors attending the Biennale, the Pavilion was a rare opportunity to showcase Nunavut and the Inuit culture. Divided into three sections—soapstone carvings of emblematic buildings made by Inuit artists, topographic models, photographs of the 25 communities, and architecture models with integrated animations—the exhibition projects a 15-year vision, addressing current challenges in housing, health, arts, education and recreation: a unique initiative between the local populations of Nunavut and Canadian teams.</p>
<p><img alt="Some of the Inuit designs that were showcased at the Venice Biennale. (Photo: Kirt Ejesiak)" style="height: 383px; width: 575px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" class="media-element file-default" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/venice_biennale-nunavut_designs-kirt_ejesiak.jpg" /></p>
<p>“We have been traveling throughout Canada's North for the past six years, and became quickly aware that there was no authentic northern vernacular that had emerged,” said Sheppard, recalling the project’s history. “Southern models of architecture have historically been imported to the North, and largely proved to be a failure. Housing in Nunavut, in particular, has been problematic. There was, and continues to be, tremendous issues of overcrowding, because of lack of housing units. From a technical perspective, many buildings from the 1950s and ’60s failed, with respect to basic issues of building orientation and insulation. There are other challenges, such as permafrost: You have to build above the ground so that the construction and buildings do not warm and melt the frozen ground beneath buildings. Culturally houses were ill-adapted because community life is very different among Nunavummiut than in the South; large families will often gather and prepare seal or caribou in houses and kitchens little adapted for such activities."</p>
<p>Presenting innovative architecture proposals rooted in Nunavut, related to climatic and cultural issues, reflecting the traditions of migration and seasonality, Arctic Adaptations allows the visitor to catch at one glimpse a global perspective of the major challenges in modern-day Nunavut, looking at his past, present, and future, including today’s visions of the Inuit.</p>
<p>“The exhibition is a good marriage between high tech and a traditional approach,” said an enthusiastic Ejesiak, who plans to build a university in the Arctic. “Canada took a different step by including people from the North. Usually private builders come with a design working in Ottawa, but not with the Inuit lifestyle: We hunt, fish. We need easy access to the ocean, storage for the equipment, the fish. You cannot bring it into an apartment! We are tired of experts from Brussels, Paris, DC, telling us what we already know about ourselves: We can speak on our behalf!”</p>
<p>Creating architectural designs that are adapted to Nunavummiut lifestyle, which embraces the seasonal patterns, cultural traditions and logistical realities of the North, is what motivates Sheppard and White<em>.</em></p>
<p></div></div></div>Wed, 29 Oct 2014 18:30:00 +0000theresa157573 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/10/29/arctic-adaptations-inuit-architecture-showcased-prestigious-venice-biennale-157573#commentsPedophile Ex-Priest Convicted on 24 Counts, Including Bestiality; Inuit Victims Vindicatedhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/18/inuit-victims-vindicated-pedophile-ex-priest-convicted-24-counts-including-dog-sex-156950
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Dozens of Inuit people victimized by so-called Pedophile Priest Eric Dejaeger in the 1970s and ’80s have now been vindicated, as a court has found the 67-year-old defrocked cleric guilty on 24 of the 68 charges he had been up against.</p></div></div></div>Thu, 18 Sep 2014 19:00:00 +0000theresa156950 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/18/inuit-victims-vindicated-pedophile-ex-priest-convicted-24-counts-including-dog-sex-156950#commentsTuberculosis Brought to Turtle Island by Seals and Sea Lions, Not Europeans: DNA Studyhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/17/tuberculosis-brought-turtle-island-seals-and-sea-lions-not-europeans-dna-study-156931
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>European settlers have long been seen as bringing scourge after scourge of disease to Turtle Island.</p></div></div></div>Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:40:00 +0000theresa156931 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/17/tuberculosis-brought-turtle-island-seals-and-sea-lions-not-europeans-dna-study-156931#commentsThe Inuit Were Right: Shipwreck Find Confirms 168-Year-Old Oral Historyhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/10/inuit-were-right-shipwreck-find-confirms-168-year-old-oral-history-156837
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The discovery of a ship that had been missing since 1846 has at least partially solved one of Canada's favorite mysteries; what's more, its location confirms the veracity of Inuit accounts that never squared with the accepted version of what happe</p></div></div></div>Wed, 10 Sep 2014 22:45:00 +0000jrobertson156837 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/10/inuit-were-right-shipwreck-find-confirms-168-year-old-oral-history-156837#commentsScience Catches Up With Inuit Oral History, 'Discovering' Ancient Paleo-Eskimoshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/31/science-catches-inuit-oral-history-discovering-ancient-paleo-eskimos-156675
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Scientists looking into the genetics of ancient Arctic peoples have verified what Inuit history has long held: That earlier peoples from Siberia were the first to populate the most northern regions of planet Earth, and that they died out as the In</p></div></div></div>Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:30:00 +0000theresa156675 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/31/science-catches-inuit-oral-history-discovering-ancient-paleo-eskimos-156675#commentsVideo: Inuit Woman Plucks Bird on Montreal Subway, Onlookers Cry Fowlhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/01/video-inuit-woman-plucks-bird-montreal-subway-onlookers-cry-fowl-156171
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Christina David was so excited when she procured a ptarmigan—a delicacy from her homelands up north—that she couldn’t wait to start preparing it. Without thinking twice, the Inuit woman leaned over and started plucking it.</p></div></div></div>Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:00:00 +0000theresa156171 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/01/video-inuit-woman-plucks-bird-montreal-subway-onlookers-cry-fowl-156171#commentsEthereal Beauty: These 8 Stunning Nunavut Landscapes Will Take Your Breath Awayhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/gallery/photo/ethereal-beauty-these-8-stunning-nunavut-landscapes-will-take-your-breath-away-155727
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p>
<p>Northern Canada has long held mystique for those of us who do not live there. Its ethereal aurora borealis, ice-dwelling sea creatures and otherwordly landscapes both entice and intimidate us.</p></div></div></div>Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:00:00 +0000theresa155727 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/gallery/photo/ethereal-beauty-these-8-stunning-nunavut-landscapes-will-take-your-breath-away-155727#commentsMary Simon to Receive the 2014 Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Relationshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/02/mary-simon-receive-2014-award-excellence-aboriginal-relations-155604
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Inuit diplomat and leader Mary Simon, former president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, will receive the 2014 Award for Excellence in Aboriginal Relations from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) and the food-service company Sodexo Cana</p></div></div></div>Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:30:00 +0000theresa155604 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/07/02/mary-simon-receive-2014-award-excellence-aboriginal-relations-155604#comments Aboriginal Awareness Day: First Nations Urge Canadians to Celebrate Indigenous Contributionshttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/aboriginal-awareness-day-first-nations-urge-canadians-celebrate-indigenous-contributions
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>In honor of National Aboriginal Day and National Aboriginal Awareness Month, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Executive Committee encourages all Canadians to take every opportunity to learn about Indigenous peoples, cultures and rights</p></div></div></div>Sat, 21 Jun 2014 14:30:00 +0000theresa155418 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/21/aboriginal-awareness-day-first-nations-urge-canadians-celebrate-indigenous-contributions#commentsSnow Where You're Going: Trace Ancient Inuit Trails With Interactive Atlashttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/13/digital-atlas-mapping-historic-inuit-trails-155290
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="line-height:1.6em;">Ever wonder how the Inuit got around the Arctic centuries ago? Researchers from the University of Cambridge, Dalhousie University and Carleton University in Canada have created an interactive online atlas to show the trails used by the Inuit, and it is available for everyone to check out at </span><a href="http://www.paninuittrails.org/index.html" target="_blank">PanInuitTrails.org</a><span style="line-height:1.6em;">.</span></p>
<p>The atlas took 15 years to create and includes interviews with elders and explorer and trader accounts—researchers say it redefines understanding of Inuit culture.</p>
<p>This is the first time these trails have been seen in one place, before they had been passed down from generation to generation by way of oral stories, but never mapped out. The trails stretch from Greenland to Alaska, with routes over the ice in winter and open water in summer.</p>
<p>“For the untutored eye, these trails may seem indistinguishable from the surrounding landscapes, but for Inuit, the subtle features and contours are etched into their narratives and storytelling traditions with extraordinary precision,” said Michael Bravo, a co-director on the project and head of Circumpolar History and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute, in a Dalhousie University <a href="http://www.dal.ca/news/2014/06/10/arctic-connections--mapping-historic-inuit-trails-online.html?utm_source=dalnewsRSS&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_campaign=dalnews" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>
<p><img alt="A land trail going to the sea ice on Melville Peninsula, taken in 2006. (Claudio Aporta)" class="media-image" height="540" style="width: 580px; height: 326px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="960" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://d1jrw5jterzxwu.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/default/files/uploads/trail-slider-melville-peninsula.jpg" title="" /></p>
<p>The green circles seen on the atlas are each titled what the Inuit called them.</p>
<p>“Place names and trails are integral parts of Inuit culture and heritage. Inuit have used place names to describe different features of the land, water, and ice since time immemorial,” explains the About page of <a href="http://www.paninuittrails.org/index.html?module=module.about" target="_blank">PanInuitTrails.org</a>. “Place names are often (but not always) descriptive of the features they are associated with, including lakes, hills, rocks, caribou passes, ice ridges, bays, islands, etc. The names are linked to places of significance, often denoting important fishing and hunting areas and camps. They are also used to describe routes of travel, and in that sense many of them are connected to well-established trails and routes.”</p>
<p>For example, there is one called <em>ijukkarvik</em>, and it is described as “the place of the fall: cliff from which an Eskimo, named Avingak, fell while searching for eggs.”</p>
<p>Fraser Taylor, of Carleton University, another co-director of the project, also told <a href="http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1063566/atlas-shows-traditional-inuit-trail-network/" target="_blank">Metro News</a> that each place represents a story.</p>
<p>“The journey is a story of what happened, who you met, who you saw, what kinds of things happened to you on that route. And every story is different, even though they’re moving along the same route,” Taylor said. “These geo-narratives are vitally important in understanding the richness of that journey.”</p>
<p></div></div></div>Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:00:00 +0000leeanne155290 at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.comhttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/13/digital-atlas-mapping-historic-inuit-trails-155290#comments